Method of treating shoes.



j l/V/TNESSES.

` T. F. WHELAN. METHOD 0F THEATING SHOES.

APPLICATION mso 111,111.15. 1915.

LWWAWM 1 Patented 001;. 19, 1915..

original application nlesl December l?,

s'rarusy Partnr ernten. y

:Encinas r. wanten, or nner onaneninnu'r unser, nssrenjon no snvo'nar anon' contenu-Y,- or er. Louis, Mrssoum, a conroaa'rrouor mssoum.

interi-ion or ionamin@ encas.

intense;

Shoes, ot which the following description,

in connection with the accompanying drawings, is :a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several iiguresn My invention consists in a novel method of treating shoes, and particulariy enameled leathershoes, and this application is a division ot my applicationy Seriai No. 533,533, tiled Dec. i7, 1909, tor a method of drying shoes i p lin the manufacture of shoes, it is custom-` ary to use stiening paste or gum between the lining materials of the toe of a shoe in forming the box or stid'ened toe oi the shoe' and to ptit the shoe asideaiiter lasting for a considerable length ot time to permit the paste orfgum to dry. When shoes are dried in the air, the operation, itatmospheric conditions are uniavorahie, may tairev several days, and in the case ot enamel or t patent leather shoes, 'the alternation of cold and warmth, dryness and dampness causes ir-y regular expansion andv contraction in the material ot which'the toes are composed and, thus checks or cracks the enamel, ,which is glazed on patent leather -at a temperature 'I of 200 to 300o l?. Patent 'leather enamel is also liahie to .be cracked or scratched inthe manufacturing J operations, for instance,

K' when the leather is bent and pulled sharpiy by the shaping devices during the iasting operation. It has been proposed to repair such damage to patent leather tlps by buit-l -ing out the cracks in the injured surface, ap-

I liowed rlhis method is open to numerous objections, themost serious being that itis slow and expensive.. `The obJect ofmy invention 1s to provide an improved process of repairing such damage to patent leather.

The distinctive characteristic of novel method vis baking or vulcanizing the coating paratus for practising my novel: process s 'rateateefoce is, raie.

1909, Serial 150,538,533. Divided and this application tiled March 1t, isis. semina. tetta. l

'ot enamel used in repairing patent leather shoes.

lin the manner of practising my novel process herein iliustrated, heat-is applied at progressively varyingv `ternperatures over the surface of a patent` leather shoe,'a por. tion of which is undergoing repair, whereby `damage due to a -too sharp temperature gradient is avoidede inthe drawings, which show a simple ap` Figure i is an end elevation ot a simpie' form ot apparatus used incarrying out m improved method; Fig. 2 is a cross sec taken on the line 2 2 ot Fig. 3;, Fig. d is a verticai section taken on the line 't-ii et Fig. l; and Fig. A? is a vertical section taken on the iinet--f oie i? li..

'An elongated housing. 1 is preferably oon structed ot sheet metal, and provided rear side with a depending portion E5 which the heating means 4is iccfted," housing has end walls 3 and, d e titions d may be located at suit, e po throughout the length of tie housing,

The iront wall 5 ot 'the housing is prt .f ably formed of a sheet of ashestos s lar lmaterial in whichkare formed open 6,-into which the toes of the shoesI are inserted. These openings 6 substantie conform in shape tothe cross-secrtiolfialL o line of. the toe portion of a shoe. 'depend from the-end portions of the ing, and carry set screws 8, which are ad ed to bear against the ends ofthe lshelves, o4 an ordinary shoe rack. Thus the shoe rac now in general use in shoe factories may ne equipped to practise my novell process'.

The entire interior surface of the housing lls-preferably lined with asbestos 9, or other non-conductor of heat, in order toppreventl wasteful radiation of heat from the housing. li preterto curve the' rear portion of the top l ofthe housing and the upper portion'of the rear `wall thereof in order to `do away with dead' air space, a'ndlsuch'A curvature rof 'the rear portiori'-s"ol:`1 the housing alsotends to reflect the -heat generated bythe heater lo- 'cated in thedepending `portion 2 directly 'against the toes of the shoes in the openings (i, and to direct the current of heated air generated by the heater around and over the toes of the shoes.l

The heating meansemployed'isfpreferably process, the housings are clamped on the shelves 'of thel shoe racks,4 and the heating coil is energized and regulated by the rheostat so that the proper temperature may be obtained in the housing. The toes of the shoes are bufedaccording to the usual practhe openings 6 and baked. 4The housing is 1 comparatively small and the openings 6 aretice in repairing patent leather shoes, to

form a proper surface for renameling,

coated with liquid enamel, and inserted into of such size as to receive only the toe portions of the shoes, and thus it is not necessary to generate a large amount of heat. In this baking operation` a lower temperature is used for a shorter time than is the practice where the ,toes are merely being dried to set the boX, as shown and described in my parent application No. 533,533.

It is desirable to protect the shoes from too direct' application of heat in order to avoid damaging the leather, and I have found it advantageous to convey the heat to the shoes 'by means of a circulating current of heated air.' In the apparatusshown in the drawings these objects are accomplished by locating the heating medium in front of thetoes ofthe shoes in a depression in the ioorfof the heating chamber and by curving the 4back wall of the chamber to deiect the ascending current of heated air over and around the toes of the shoes and to reflect radiatedheat in the same manner. I secure .the protection of the bottom of the shoe from direct heat by the asbestos covering of that air from outside the Areceptacle will` enter between the bottoms of the' shoes andthe lower walls of the openings and forman air cushion, and that the heatedl air escapes between the upper portions of said openings and the shoes afterA passing over andfaround the toes of the shoes, and, mingling gradually with the outer air, becomes gradually reduced in temperature as -it passes from the openings 6 over the leather -which is likewise a division of toward the heels of the shoes. This insures a much more uniform temperature gradient 1n the leather adjoining the tips, avoids damage due to rapidand irregular variaj tions in temperature, and adds further protection to the shoebottom from the direct, heat. The escapingpurrent of hot air also tends to shrink out Wrinkles in the Vamps. While I have shown a simple form of aipparatus for practisingmy improved process, it will beunderstood that other apparatus may be employed, it bein essential only that a proper temperature he applied directly to the leather. ,l

- I do not claim herein the novel apparatus disclosed since I have claimed it in my application, No. 578,930, 'filed Aug. 25, .1910,

my application, No. 533,533, filed Dec. 17, 1909.,.Nor do I claim herein the disclosed novel method of drying shoes, since I have claimed it in' the above mentioned parent application No. 533,533.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1.; lhat improvement in processes of remshmg patent leather shoes which ,com-

prises subjecting patent leather ortions of.

confined Within a substantially closed coml partment around the said patent leathery portions.

. 2. That improvement in processes of refinishing patent leather shoes which comprises confining patent leather portions of the shoes in a chamber while the remaining -portiolrs of the shoe upper project'` therefrom, and subjecting the portions in the Ichamber to a current of heated air which moves over and downwardly upon said patent leather portions before passing out of said chamber. v

3. That improvement in processes of rer.

finishing patent leather shoes which com.

prises confining patent leather portions of the shoes 1n a chamber while other portions project through openings therein, and subjecting the-portions in the chamber to a current of heated air which moves over and downwardl upon said patent leather portions and t en passes out of said chamber 4 through the said openings.

4. That improvement in processes of re 4 I pairing damaged patent leather shoes which ycomprlses applying enamel to they damaged patentl leather portions of the shoes, conlining such portions in a chamber and sub-I ljecting them to a current of heated air at 'a temperature sufficiently high to vbake 'the enamel.

5. That improvement in 'processes of repairing patent leather shoes which comprises applying enamel to the damaged patent leather portions, and' then subjecting mamen v the damaged portions to a current of heated air, the remaining portions of the shoe be# ing substantially protected trom the circulating lieatedair during this operation.

d That improvement in processes of repairing a portionof a patent leather shoe which comprises renamelingf said portion?, subjecting it to air at a temperature sufficient to bakevthe enamel and protecting the remainder of the shoe from said air in Varying degree.

7. That improvement in processes of repairing a patent leather shoe which oomprises renameling the damaged portion, passing over it a current of air at a temperature sudicient to bake the enamel, and conducting said air away from said damagedportion and over adjacent portions of the shoe at a progressively decreasing te:caperature1 8*.' That improvement 1n processes of repairing a patent leather shoe which comprises renameling the damaged port1on 1n-n sertingit into a chamber through a loosely fitting aperture in a- Wall thereof, and providing a current of heated air 'in said chamber which circulates around said damaged portion, then passes out lof the caslng .through said aperture, and treats portions v'of the shoe-'outside 'sald chamber at a proupper not treated with the solution without said receptacle, and restricting the action of the heat' to the part within the receptacle,4

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification 1n the presence of two subscribino' witnesses.

ritenne n WHELAN. Witnesses: Y Y l R. 'li/. PACKARD,

WnJLiAM lB. Kms. 

